The West Bengal Assembly on Monday passed two key amendment Bills that formally reshape the state's Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation framework, implementing changes ordered by the Calcutta High Court in 2024.
The legislation removes 77 Muslim communities from the state's OBC list, revises the reservation quota available to OBC communities and introduces changes to the functioning of the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes.
The move marks one of the most significant changes to West Bengal's reservation policy in recent years and is expected to remain a major political issue in the state.
What Changes Does the New Bill Bring?
The Assembly cleared the West Bengal Backward Classes (Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts (Amendment) Bill, 2026, along with the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The amendments formally incorporate changes that had already been notified by the BJP-led state government in May following the Calcutta High Court's directions.
Under the revised framework, the OBC reservation quota has been reduced from 10% to 7%. The state has also reorganised OBC categories and retained only those communities that were included following surveys and recommendations made through the backward classes commission process.
According to the government, 66 communities remain on the approved OBC list.
Introducing the Bills in the Assembly, Backward Classes Development Minister Gourishankar Ghosh said the changes were necessary to comply with the High Court's order.
The minister alleged that several communities had previously been granted OBC status without proper surveys and claimed the amendments would help ensure that future inclusions are based on objective assessments conducted by the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes.
The government has also argued that the new framework will strengthen scrutiny mechanisms and reduce the possibility of irregularities in the issuance of OBC certificates.
The issue traces its roots to a Calcutta High Court judgment delivered in May 2024. The court examined petitions challenging the inclusion of several communities in the state's OBC lists and questioned the process through which many of them had been added.
The petitioners had argued that numerous communities were granted reservation benefits without a detailed evaluation of their social and economic backwardness.
Following the judgment, the state government issued a notification in May 2026 implementing changes to the OBC list. Monday's legislation formally amended the relevant laws to align them with those administrative decisions.
While 77 Muslim communities were removed from the list, several Muslim groups continue to retain OBC status under the revised framework.
Government documents indicate that communities such as Jolah (Ansari Momin), Fakir, Pahadia Muslim, Hajjam (Muslim) and Chowduli (Muslim) remain part of the approved OBC categories.